Sunday, June 29, 2014

Courage - The ability to do something that you know is difficult or dangerous. "Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God’s approval. Courage becomes a living and an attractive virtue when it is regarded not only as a willingness to die manfully, but as the determination to live decently. A moral coward is one who is afraid to do what he thinks is right because others will disapprove or laugh. Remember that all men have their fears, but those who face their fears with dignity have courage as well. " (President Thomas S Monson, Courage Counts, October 1986 General Conference)

“Courage is being scared to death... and saddling up anyway.” - Attributed to John Wayne

We are perhaps bombarded with vulgarity at work or school or other places in the world, which we can not necessarily control. On the other hand, we can be more in control of influences in our home and we are responsible and accountable to do so.

If you spend time with your kids, what is important to you becomes what is important to them.

"One of the most effective ways we can influence our sons and daughters is to counsel with them in private interviews. By listening closely, we can discover the desires of their hearts, help them set righteous goals, and also share with them the spiritual impressions that we have received about them. Counseling requires courage." (Elder Larry R Lawrence, Courageous Parenting, October 2010 General Conference)

“As a scriptural theme for this discussion, I have chosen Luke 17:32, where the Savior cautions, ‘Remember Lot’s wife.’ What did He mean by such an enigmatic little phrase? To find out, we need to do as He suggested. Let’s recall who Lot’s wife was.

“The story, of course, comes to us out of the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, when the Lord, having had as much as He could stand of the worst that men and women could do, told Lot and his family to flee because those cities were about to be destroyed. “Escape for thy life,” the Lord said. “Look not behind thee … ; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed” (Genesis 19:17; emphasis added).” (Elder Jeffrey R Holland, The Best Is Yet to Be, Ensign January 2010)

How much time do we give to the Lord?

Are we working for necessity or for comfort and recreation? Do the women of the Church have jobs outside the home for necessity or for comfort and recreation.

We are in the same environment as Sodom and Gomorrah in many parts of the world and because of technology those parts of the world can end up in our homes.

Sunday School

David showed up to fight Goliath with faith in God, but he also picked his battle appropriately. He brought the Spirit. He also had been prepared by learning to use a sling. We don't know what our battle will be, but we should do more than just sit idle in our faith.

Sacrament Service

"We need everyone. The tired or worn out or lazy and even those who are bound down with guilt must be restored through repentance and forgiveness. Too many of our priesthood brethren are living below their privileges and the Lord’s expectations."(President Boyd K Packer, The Power of the Priesthood, April 2010 General Conference)

Doctrine and Covenants 84:26

26 And the lesser priesthood continued, which priesthood holdeth the key of the ministering of angels and the preparatory gospel;

Doctrine and Covenants 107:18

18 The power and authority of the higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood, is to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church—

Priesthood keys are the authority to direct a portion of the church.

Header of Doctrine and Covenants 13

“An extract from Joseph Smith’s history recounting the ordination of the Prophet and Oliver Cowdery to the Aaronic Priesthood near Harmony, Pennsylvania, May 15, 1829. The ordination was done by the hands of an angel who announced himself as John, the same that is called John the Baptist in the New Testament. The angel explained that he was acting under the direction of Peter, James, and John, the ancient Apostles, who held the keys of the higher priesthood, which was called the Priesthood of Melchizedek. The promise was given to Joseph and Oliver that in due time this higher priesthood would be conferred upon them. (See section 27:7–8, 12.)”

One of the talks was based on a BYU devotional talk by Sherry Dew, You Were Born to Lead, You Were Born For Glory

"Sadly enough, my young friends, it is a characteristic of our age that if people want any gods at all, they want them to be gods who do not demand much, comfortable gods, smooth gods who not only don’t rock the boat but don’t even row it, gods who pat us on the head, make us giggle, then tell us to run along and pick marigolds"

…

"Friends, especially my young friends, take heart. Pure Christlike love flowing from true righteousness can change the world. I testify that the true and living gospel of Jesus Christ is on the earth and you are members of His true and living Church, trying to share it. I bear witness of that gospel and that Church, with a particular witness of restored priesthood keys which unlock the power and efficacy of saving ordinances. I am more certain that those keys have been restored and that those ordinances are once again available through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints than I am certain I stand before you at this pulpit and you sit before me in this conference." (Elder Jeffrey R Holland, THE COST—AND BLESSINGS—OF DISCIPLESHIP, General Conference April 2014)

"Kindness is the essence of greatness and the fundamental characteristic of the noblest men and women I have known. Kindness is a passport that opens doors and fashions friends. It softens hearts and molds relationships that can last lifetimes."(Elder Joseph B Wirthlin, THE VIRTUE OF KINDNESS, General Conference April 2005)

"First of all, have faith. Faith is the first principle of the gospel because faith is a principle of power that influences, to at least some degree, the Lord’s intervention in our lives." (Sister Dew)

"It is not possible to sin enough to be happy. It is not possible to buy enough to be happy or to entertain or indulge yourself enough to be happy. Happiness and joy come only when you are living up to who you are."(Sister Dew)

"My dear young friends, I repeat that these are the days in which a true leader wants to live. These are days when opportunities to change lives and even destinies are nearly endless. You are running the anchor leg of the relay because you were born to lead. You were born for glory." (Sister Dew)

Sunday, June 22, 2014

The lesson was based on President Uchtdorf’s General Conference talk, Grateful in Any Circumstances

The teacher shared several categories and asked what things in those categories are we grateful for. He also asked what in those categories are we not grateful for.

I began thinking within those categories about things I behave ungrateful for that I should be grateful for. This could be trials or things we didn't pause to show gratitude and let the weight of life be your primary focus. An example would be taking our wives for granted.

When Joseph was in Liberty jail he was upbeat in his letters to his wife in spite of his situation.

Sunday School

Old Testament lesson 22

Proverbs 3:5-6

When we remove God from the equation it makes it difficult to come to the right conclusion about decisions and the solution to world problems or to see if a world problem is really a problem.

Israel wanted a king like other nations. We have people in the United States that would like to change our kind of government to that of other nations and walk away from the constitution and the kind of government God has given us. Worldly ideas of how to take care of the poor and glorifying the ways of other nations blur the vision of what things really help our country and what things make it worse.

Saul made little mistakes at first, sometimes trying to do a good thing.

He did not go from being super righteous to one day flipping to wicked. He gradually made little mistakes, eventually moving on to bigger mistakes and finally huge sin.

Just because we can't see the Lord or his plan does not mean He is not on his way or that the plan is not for our good.

Sacrament Service

The older youth gave a program about daughters of faith and A camp that they went to last week. There was some music and each of the youth told a little about their experience.

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Elders Quorum

The instructor shared Luke 10:30-37 as a scripture that reminded him of his father. That is the story of the Good Samaritan.

Ogden temple open house volunteers needed for:

Wed Aug 13, 2014 11-4

Thur Sept 4, 2014 3-8

It is not necessary to retaliate against those that figuratively step on your toes.

Matthew 6:12

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Matthew 18:27

27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

1 Nephi 1:1

Why did Nephi open with this?

Don't wait for teaching opportunities with your kids. Pay attention at all times.

Proverbs 3:12

12 For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

Mosiah 27:14

12 For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

Don't lower the standard because love our kids and don't want to be mean.

You don't necessarily have to be mean, but you do need to be consistent and at times stern or full on rebuke.

John 13:15

15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

1 Timothy 4:12

12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Sunday School

"God Honors Those Who Honor Him "

God gives us blessings that are eternal and not necessarily immediate. Sometimes those blessings are trials.

He blesses us with that which will make us eternally stronger.

Do we receive promises from the Lord and then still sit there and fret?

The sons of Eli were not just fornicating at the temple, but they are using their standing and position to take advantage of the women coming to the temple. They compounded serious sins with other serious sins.

Sacrament Service

A father should be slow to anger.

A father should pass knowledge onto his children and others.

We should remember our Heavenly Father on father's day as well as our early father. On Father’s Day earthly father's should reflect on how they are like Heavenly Father and where they can improve.

Doctrine and Covenants 87:8

8 Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord. Amen.

Be involved in the community. Look for ways to be involved regularly and not just when there is tragedy or disaster.

Sunday, June 08, 2014

A sister missionary spoke to us. Some of the talk was based on the June Ensign article, Hastening the Work by President Thomas S Monson.

Some of our genealogy research with be hard, but the Holy Spirit will help us as we ask and work.

"As you pursue family history work, you are going to find yourself running into roadblocks, and you are going to say to yourself, “There is nothing else I can do.” When you come to that point, get down on your knees and ask the Lord to open the way, and He will open the way for you." - From the ensign article.

A Stake high councillor spoke to us.

The Book of Mormon as the keystone of our testimony.

The keystone of an arch holds it together and allows for a very tall and large structure.

The Book of Mormon is said to be the keystone of our religion.

If the Book of Mormon is true the Joseph Smith is a prophet. If Joseph Smith is a prophet, then the things he reveled are true.

If the Book of Mormon is not true everything else crumbles away.

Is it possible that the Lord needed the Church to have something so curious or peculiar as the Book of Mormon to differentiate us from the multitude of other Bible only Christian churches.

Sunday School

Judges 21:25

25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

This describes the world at large today. People say they can do what they want because “they are a good person”.

But some churches go down a similar road. They have no authorized leader. They follow whatever they think the Bible says and they pay a pastor to serve them, but give him no authority to lead them to tell them how the church should be run.

Elders Quorum

Teachings of Presidents of the Church:Joseph Fielding Smith

Priesthood Keys

Being consistent allows other to know they can count on us. Whether it is in our home teaching or our jobs or with our children.